Patsy Thomas for Judge?
As you read about the vendetta waged against us by the city (read the city vs. the fireman), watch the actions of their employee, attorney Patsy Thomas. Although a rather pleasant person, her apparent lack of skill as a lawyer frequently left me both alarmed and amused.
The fact that she even pursued this case caused me to initially question her competence. Then, an incident during the discovery process deflated any remaining confidence that I might have held on to with regard to her ability and expertise as an attorney.
When Thomas returned a set of completed interrogatories, I noticed the required affidavit was missing (Rule 33 of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure says that, “. . . Each interrogatory shall be answered separately and fully in writing under oath . . . ”).
Being very careful not alienate her, I somewhat Columbo like (Columbo - a “dumb like a fox” TV detective from a few years back) asked her, in a face to face conversation, if there should have been affidavits attached to the answers to the interrogatories. She astounded me when she said that since she was an attorney she wasn’t sure she had to attach affidavits. What? Was she serious? She said she would check on it.
After a period of time went by and she didn’t respond I asked her in a e-mail message if she found out yet whether or not she was exempt from following the rule. She responded via e-mail that, “. . .you were right, I should have sent an affidavit with the answers. . . “
And now Patsy Thomas is running for a Franklin County Municipal Court judgeship in the November 2002 election. And she has a good chance of making it. Certainly adds credibility to the old joke: What do you call the attorney who graduated at the bottom of his law school class? “Your Honor.”
One consolation. As uninspiring as her performance throughout the entire fiasco was, she would probably come to the job with far more courtroom experience that Pfeiffer had.
November 6, 2002 Update: Attorney Patsy Thomas was soundly defeated by her opponent, 119,213 to 87,030 in yesterday's election.
January 10, 2003 Update: Attorney Patsy Thomas is now Councilwoman Patsy Thomas, having been appointed by the Columbus City Council to fill a council vacancy.
March 24, 2007 Update: Attorney Patsy Thomas is now Judge Patsy Thomas, having been appointed by Governor Ted Strickland to fill a vacated position on the Franklin County Municipal Court. Reports seemed to indicate that she was lobbying heavily for the appointment. According to a Columbus Dispatch article on March 24, 2007, Franklin County Democrats had recommended three candidates for the vacancy and Thomas was not among them. Strickland disregarded the recommendation and appointed the Ohio Judicial Appointments Panel, lead by Thomas' former boss, Janet Jackson. And lo and behold, Thomas was appointed.
It's not what you know, it's who you know.
November, 2007 Update: Attorney Patsy Thomas is no longer Judge Patsy Thomas, having been again defeated in the November election for the judgeship to which she had been appointed.
Your comments are invited. Email John Rees